


Shino deserves love

by First_Peach



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Arranged Marriage, Eventual Smut, F/M, Feel-good, Fluff, Lemon, Making Out, Masturbation, No Kaguya, No Uchiha Massacre, No Zetsu, Romance, Sasuke is a manwhore, Smut, because what was Kishimoto smoking?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:20:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26980540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/First_Peach/pseuds/First_Peach
Summary: A long time ago Aburame clan made a pact with Hoshoku clan. Now the time came to uphold the terms. It is up to Shino to take this responsibility.OR Shino is shy and lonely, with years of low self-worth under his belt. A girl might be the thing to get him out of his shell.There will be detailed smut. Tags will be updated accordingly.
Relationships: Aburame Shino/Original Character(s), Aburame Shino/Original Female Character(s), Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Sai/Yamanaka Ino
Comments: 18
Kudos: 89





	1. The Pact

Shino just turned eighteen a week ago. After six months he will have to take over as the heir to the Aburame clan. A tall task that he took without hesitation or a second thought. It was his destiny since he was born, after all. It was what he had been preparing to do since birth. It all looked simple enough and yet he felt light jitters in his stomach.

“Shino, you okay?” the distant voice of his teammate Kiba reached his ears.

“Yes, I am fine,” Shino confirmed, but neither of his teammates was convinced.

“Sh-Shino… you can talk to us,” Hinata encouraged as their team leaped over the trees in their return back to the village after a mission.

“In six months I will officially be the head of the Aburame clan,” he responded.

“Oh…” Hinata sighed. She probably like no other understood the pressure and importance of the meaning behind his words.

“Well, hell, good for you, buddy,” Kiba smirked. It was easy for him. Kiba was not in the line for the lead to the Inuzuka clan after all. That honor fell on his older sister.

“Thank you,” Shino muttered.

What Shino was not aware of, was the news his father received a day ago. News that will change his life in a way he never would have imagined.

━━━━━━━━━━

Five hours and a short report to Hokage later, Shino stepped across the threshold of his home.

“Father,” he greeted the old man who was drinking tea in the kitchen.

“Shino,” the older man nodded in response. He was unusually serious, which prompted Shino to sit across his father by the kitchen table.

“Father?” he said in a questioning manner. A tinge of worry in his voice as he wondered if something happened while he was away.

“Shino,” sigh “I received a message yesterday. It is in regard to a pact made with the Aburame clan a couple of decades ago,” Shibi responded, eyes under his glasses fixed on his son.

“A pact?” the boy felt like a genin kid again as he was not aware of any commitments his clan had. Why was he not aware of it? And what did it mean in regards to him? So many questions. The boy could only hope to get some answered by his father.

“Yes. It was made between the Aburame clan of Konoha and Hoshoku clan of Soragakure.”

Soragakure? The Village Hidden in the Sky? Hoshoku clan? Yet another thing Shino had no knowledge about.

“What does this arrangement entail?” the boy asked curiosity piqued.

Shibi went straight to the point like ripping a bandaid. “Arranged marriage.”

Shino slowly nodded to confirm that yes, he knows the meaning of these words, but again, what did it have to do with… Oh. Right. Arranged marriage usually happened between the heirs of their respective clans. Slowly realization set in. He was the heir of the Aburame clan. That means this pact was directly impacting him…

“The pact entails that the female of Hoshoku would be wed with the Aburame clan male. The Hoshoku clan's main branch always had a tendency to produce male descendants exclusively. Until about eighteen years, that is.” Shibi continued to explain why this pact was brought to light just now while it was actually made decades ago.

“I see…” Shino muttered.

“She will arrive in Konoha in 2 months. The marriage will be held after two more months. To give you... Some time to familiarise…” the last part was added rather awkwardly by his father. Honestly, it was a kind courtesy. Most of the other heirs did not have such a luxury. It was a common practice for those doomed to an arranged marriage to meet on their wedding day.

“..thank you…” Shino felt necessary to say it in an even quieter tone.

“Shino, I am very proud of you. And... I am sorry that it has to be this way,” his father’s voice was apologetic. For some reason that made Shino feel slightly better.

Why was Shino even worried? Simple, he was too aware of what girls thought about his kind. The weird ones. The creepy clan. Bugs were not for everyone. He didn’t even have a girlfriend once. Yet now, some poor soul, much like himself, was forced to uphold the pact made by their ancestors. It was still his duty and Shino accepted it with grace.

━━━━━━━━━━

A week had passed and Shino slowly simmered in his thoughts. He spent a lot of time with his bugs almost locked away from any human contact. Worry plagued his mind. What if… what if she really hates bugs? What if… she is scared of him?

Shino shook his head with a heavy exhale. There was no escape from this predicament. He will have to work something out.

That same evening Kurenai-sensei dragged Shino out of the comfort of his home to a dinner with the rookie 9 and their senseis. Overall, there was a good mood around the table as their group chatted along.

Shino was silent. That didn’t sit well with Kiba though. Lacking any tact, the boy poked him in the ribs.

“Oi, Shino, you still bummed about that whole head of the clan thing?” he laughed, taking the attention of the group to them.

Shino exhaled and shook his head causing everyone to listen up more carefully waiting for his explanation. They were like a family. And if one of their family was troubled it concerned all of them.

“No, Kiba, that is not the case,” Shino slowly spoke. Everyone waited for elaboration. Even senseis looked at him with mild curiosity. “I… I am engaged,” he finally said it. The silence was deafening.

“WHAT? WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL US?” Kiba practically yelled with the widest grin.

“Oooohhh! Who is she??” Naruto perked up. They were not as close of friends, but the boy truly cared about what was happening between his friends. Senseis looked amused by the conversation. It was no surprise that their genin teams were no longer kids. Yet it was still hard to imagine them as marriage ready adults.

“I.. I don’t know. She arrives in two months…” Shino answered, making intense eye contact with his cup of sake.

“Oh..” Hinata whispered covering her mouth in shock. Other clan kids around the table also shared a knowing glance. They understood what his answer entailed. Adults on the other hand shared a more surprised look. Right, archaic clan rituals and traditions were still at large.

“Huh? How can you NOT know who you’ll be marrying?” Naruto looked dumbstruck. Shortly he received a hit over the back of his head from one annoyed Sakura.

“It’s an arranged marriage, you idiot,” she explained.

“How troublesome…” Shikamaru muttered, secretly glad of the lax attitude towards marriage in his own clan.

“Is.. is it with another clan?” Hinata carefully asked. Shino gave a nod in response.

“Hoshoku clan from Village Hidden in the Sky. Our clans have history,” he added. Most of the teens looked confused. They obviously hadn’t heard of the clan or the village. Multiple eyes turned to adults for guidance.

“Hmm, isn’t that clan highly proficient in ninjutsu creation?” Kurenai spoke glancing at Kakashi. If anyone would know, that would be Konoha's Copy Nin.

“Maa, I believe you’re right. I heard they are almost as good at recreating enemie’s ninjutsu as Uchiha,” he said slowly recalling the mentions in various books of ninjutsu.

“This is messed up…” Naruto did not even try to hide his opinion like others. In a way, Shino was thankful for it. The honesty of his friend.

“Naruto, this is an important part of any clan,” Ino chastised the boy, being the levelheaded and loyal clan member herself. Shino nodded.

“It is my duty,” he said shortly, putting an end to the discussion. Kurenai sent one last sympathetic glance to her student and changed the topic.

━━━━━━━━━━

At the same time somewhere in the depths of Hokage mountain a clan meeting took place. In attendance, there were representatives from all the noble clans of Konoha. At the head of the table sat Hokage and the representative of the Senju clan - Tsunade. Around the table sat nine more people - Shibi Aburame, Chōza Akimichi, Hiashi Hyūga, Tsume Inuzuka (with the addition of Hana as the next head to be), Shikaku Nara, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Fugaku Uchiha, and Inoichi Yamanaka.

“Well, let's not drag this for too long,” Tsunade snarled, pouring herself a cup of sake. Clan meetings tended to take far longer than she would want, but it was necessary to keep the fragile balance between them intact.

“Shibi, you said you had an announcement to make?” Tsunade didn’t even turn to the man in question as she gulped the cold drink with hunger.

“Ah, is Shino taking over?” Tsume eagerly chipped in.

“Indeed. My son is now of age and will be taking over the clan in six months. He will be attending clan meetings with me in the future,” Shino confirmed. Other members nodded with approval. Most of them were preparing their own heirs for the same future.

Before anyone could comment, Shino continued. “There is also another… matter,” he said slowly. At that Inoichi perked up with curiosity. Shikaku looked like he was napping with eyes closed, yet his ears listened intently. Even stoic Hyuga showed interest with a minuscule tilt of his head. It was rare for Aburame to speak up as much as he did today.

“Get out with it,” Tsunade beckoned the man to continue as she poured herself another cup. She could sense pain in the ass of hers to come.

“Chem. So happens, that an old pact Aburame clan has made will have to be upheld as well…” he trailed off. At that, both Inuzuka gave the man a glare.

“How bad is it, Shibi?” Tsume asked straight.

“Nothing unusual. An arranged marriage, that is all,” Shibi clarified. Tsunade snarled unintentionally as she hopped for something worse. Inoichi practically buzzed with curiosity, while Nara beside him finally opened his eyes. An arranged marriage between clans was actually a bigger deal than Tsunade made it seem.

“So, who is it?” Hokage’s gaze fell over other attendance. She obviously thought it was arranged between local clans. As her eyes stopped at each clan's head and got a shake of a head in response, she dropped an irritated glance back at the Aburame. Her eyebrow curled in a questioning manner.

“It is with Hoshoku of Soragakure.”

“Absolutely not,” the first to react was Fugaku Uchiha. His stern voice cut like a chakra infused blade.

“Oh, my,” Sarutobi smirked hidden in the cloud of tobacco.

“Sky, huh?” Shikaku mused working out the implications of such an alliance in his head. Nothing too bad come to mind so far. Actually, it might be rather beneficial to the village.

“How the hell did that happen?” Tsunade had wide eyes. She might be young in a way, but on her travels outside the village, she did have a chance to meet a few Sky nin. They left a strong impression to say it lightly.

“The pact was made during First Hokage's rule with his approval,” Shibi replied curtly ignoring curious glances and one fuming Uchiha.

“Then why is it being enforced only now?” Choza asked what was on everyone's mind.

“Until recently, the main branch of the Hoshoku clan produced predominantly male heirs.” Short answer, yet not a strange one. A lot of clans found a struggle in one way or another. Like Inuzuka for example, favored female descendants, while others were more male dominant.

Tsunade was now drinking straight from the bottle. This was not only a concern for clans but for her as a Hokage. It was a political nightmare waiting to happen.

“I am more curious, why Uchiha is against this?” Hiashi mused with a cold voice, but something about an irritated Fugaku just made his day slightly brighter. Everyone turned as if on cue to stare at the man in question. Uchiha was silent.

“I believe, some people compare Hoshoku to Uchiha,” Sarutobi answered instead. Killing intent would be filling the air if Fugaku had even a hair less of self-control. He did slip a scoff.

“Aburame, explain,” Tsunade had enough.

“Yes, Hokage-sama. Hoshoku is known for their ability to create, master, and copy ninjutsu as well as their own dojutsu,” at those words more curious glances were shared. A prospect for Konoha to possess another dojutsu was tempting. Tsunade exhaled, placing an empty bottle on the table.

“When?” she only asked.

“In two months their representative will arrive, in two more a wedding will take place,” Shibi’s voice was as calm as ever. Honestly, there was nothing other clans could do to stop this from happening.

“Very well, we will discuss this again, when the girl arrives,” Tsunade decided to cut the conversation short. She was eager to discuss this sensitive subject with only Sarutobi-sensei and Shikaku. Their opinion was the one that mattered the most.

━━━━━━━━━━

Two months passed in a haze for Shino. He was still concerned, yes, but in a way, he considered this as some S rank mission. Mision for the sake of his clan. Of course, he sat around all this time doing nothing.

Very much to his misfortune, there were lessons Shino had to partake. Besides the expected tutelage about the workings of his clan, the boy also had to endure awkward conversations with his father about the responsibilities of a husband.

The person, who surprised him the most, was actually Ino Yamanaka. The girl made it her business to ensure that Shino was aware of how a female should be treated. With utmost respect, that was her summary. Even if there was no love between the two soon to be wed, respect was the least he could show for both of their wellbeings.

Young Aburame exhaled as he stood alongside his father's right by the gates of Konoha. Today was the day. He was not gonna lie, by now, curiosity took over his fears. That is until two figures caught his eye in the distance. Shino inhaled sharply as they approached the gates.

“Breath, son,” Shibi whispered, eyes also keeping track of their guests.

As the distance melted, Shino could make out more details. On the right side walked a tall man with gray chin-length straight hair. Bright eyes were of different colors. One red another golden. Soragakure's headband tied around his neck. He was lean and yet, Shino felt that the man was a skilled shinobi.

Slowly and somewhat hesitant the boy’s eyes wandered to the second figure. Shino struggled to breathe again as he took in her appearance. It was the same shade of gray hair, longer, tied up in a hairdo. A couple of senbon glimmered in the morning sun as they poked out of the hair. Her eyes… they were the same color as the man’s beside her. Red and golden... There was a beauty mark below her left eye!

Shino avoided making direct eye contact, so his gaze quickly fell down. There was no headband on her neck giving him a full view of the pale skin. Kami, Shino could not deny the girl was fit. She probably could even rival Hinata in the chest department… Ah.. here was the headband, he noticed it tied around her waist.

Overall the girl was dressed in a black undergarment with a crimson red overlayer of a skirt or whatever it was. Her hands, though, were hidden in wide sleeves of a kimono-style shirt that oh so casually was not covering one of her shoulders…

Shino inhaled, keeping his composure. He forced his eyes to finish the ‘overview’. Between two long slits of her sort-of-skirt peeked a set of long legs. Just a little bit of skin was visible that was not covered by her black undergarment and long over the knee boots. Just a little bit. The size of his hand… Yet it looked no less provocative in his eyes.

The pair stopped in front of the gates. The man made a small bow to his father.

“Hello, Aburame-sama. I am Tendou Hoshoku of Soragakure and this is my sister Kokoroe Hoshoku,” he introduced. The girl also gave a small bow.

Kokoroe. Shino wanted to stare but forced his attention back at the male... Tendou.

“Welcome to Konoha. I am Shibi Aburame and this is my son Shino Aburame,” his father responded as both of them bowed to the sky nin. Shino felt their heavy gaze fall on him. It was unpleasant to be on the receiving end of visual evaluation. All of a sudden he felt a strong urge to hide.

What were they thinking when they looked at him? Were… were they disappointed? Maybe already creeped out? What was she thinking?... Shino was afraid to look into her eyes and find out the answer. At this moment, he would rather take his chunin exam all over again with the whole Gaara meltdown.

“It is our pleasure to make your acquaintance,” her voice was soft. It was also sweet. And silky. Gentle was the word that came to mind the most. Kikaichu under his skin buzzed with approval.

“Please follow me to make a formal introduction to our Hokage,” Shibi said shortly. There was a smile hiding behind the flap of his jacket. Of course, like any father, he worried about what to expect. He wanted his only son to be happy. There was no guarantee that arranged marriage will work out between the two young adults. Yet, Shibi was glad to spot interest towards the girl in his son's behavior.

Hoshoku siblings gave another curt nod and followed Aburame head to the Hokage tower. They were aware of many watchful eyes that followed their every move…

━━━━━━━━━━


	2. Five stages of grief

_About eighteen years ago somewhere in Soragakure._

“It’s.. a girl…” a medic announced.

“Girl?!” a tall imposing man with long gray hair echoed in surprise. He was visibly shocked. This was unprecedented! For decades his family hadn’t birthed any girls inside the main branch. His feelings were mixed. Happiness was shortly washed away with worry.

“Hoshoku-sama? You can see them now,” the medic carefully addressed the clan head.

The man nodded and followed the medic into the room, where his dear wife cradled a small bundle in her hands. There were tears in the woman's eyes. She couldn’t hide her mixed emotions as well as the man did.

“She’s beautiful,” the man said leaning closer with a small smile. His hand carefully reached out. One finger brushed over his daughter's cheek.

“Mhm… she is..” the woman muttered. “Darling… how.. How long will we have.. With her?” she asked in a whisper.

“16 years. Maybe 17 if we push it...” he responded sullenly. Hoshoku-sama did not agree with the arrangements made before his time. It was an old tradition. Something no respectable clan of the Sky practiced these days. Yet, it was an agreement no one could break. His dear daughter was doomed since the moment she took her first breath.

━━━━━━━━━━

_Three years later._

“Children! Dinner is ready!” the matriarch of the Hoshoku clan called two small figures in their home garden.

“Yes, mother!” a boy and a girl responded cheerfully. Both of them were panting, glimmers of sweat on their pale skin.

Not even fifteen minutes later a family of four sat around a traditional table. Backs straight, but their faces were relaxed.

“Tendou, how is your training coming along?” Hoshoku-sama asked his eldest child.

“Great! I can now use one-handed seals for most of my ninjutsu!” the boy bragged with a cheerful smile. His father nodded in approval.

“What about you, Koko?” the man's gaze turned to his youngest. The girl was nibbling on a rice ball, her tiny hands shook slightly no doubt showing signs of exhaustion.

“Water is fun, father,” the girl replied with a wide grin of baby teeth.

“Oh? You already started on elemental jutsu?” the man was pleasantly surprised. True, his son was a prodigy, but it started to seem that his daughter was no different. Easily catching on to new ninjutsu that her chakra level allowed. But more often than that, she would create her own silly techniques. Silly for now, that is. It will not take long for her to make use of them in battle.

“Daddy, when can I go with Ten to the academy??” Kokoroe wined in an adorable manner.

“Soon, honey. Far too soon…” he sighed. His daughter was growing up too fast. He shared a saddened look with his wife. Tendou looked between his parents with curiosity. The boy didn’t really understand why his parents acted this way when it came to his sister. Were they not happy with her progress? The boy decided to help her train even harder.

━━━━━━━━━━

_Two years later._

Kokoroe was now five years old. It was her first day at the academy. Finally, she could start to really catch up with her brother. Speak of the akuma! The boy leisurely sat on top of the fence waiting for her.

“Brother!” she ran up to him.

“How was your first day, Koko?”

“Easy! I will graduate faster than you!” she declared sticking out her tongue as a stamp of approval.

“Oi, brat!” Tendou teased playfully as he jumped down. They walked together home. He was obligated to make sure his little sister got there safe. And of course, he wanted to make sure she was doing well. Looks like he needn’t worry.

“Ten…” she hesitated looking in front of her.

“Hmm? What’s up?” he asked curiously.

“Ten… you noticed it too, huh?”

“What?”

“How.. how others in our clan look at me… is there something wrong with me?” she voiced her concern, eyes downcast. For a while now she started seeing it in other people's eyes. Sadness. Concern. Bitterness. Even her parents shared the same eyes when they thought she wasn’t looking.

“Hn..” he muttered, hands in his pockets. He knew what she was talking about. A year ago he finally confronted their father and found out the truth… Since then, Tendou has tried even harder to train his sister. Be with her. Spend time with her in hopes of making a bond that would last.

“There is nothing wrong with you, Kokoroe. Don’t ever think that,” he added painfully.

That same evening she confronted their father.

A few hours later she ran away.

Hot tears leaving red streaks on her cheeks. She was sold out like some cattle! By her own clan! She wanted to scream but found no voice within her. Only sobs escaped her lips. Kokoroe fell to her knees on the mossy ground in the middle of the forest. Her heart hurt.

That is how Tendou found her thirty minutes later. He took her to his arms with a pained expression.

“I’m really sorry, Koko. I am so soooo sorry…” he spoke, failing to keep a steady voice. She sobbed harder hiding in the crook of her brother's neck.

━━━━━━━━━━

In the years that followed, Kokoroe buried herself in training. She was an exceptional shinobi. Some nights she would still cry about her future, though. Why was she even trying so hard if there was no future for her in Soragakure? Simple, if she trained herself to exhaustion, she didn’t have time to stop and think about what awaited her.

Just like she promised Tendou on the first day at the academy, Koko graduated after a year and a half. She was a prodigy like her brother with her own bag of tricks. The status of a genin did not last long for her either. At least the anger she harbored was of some use.

Through gritted teeth, she endured any challenge. Whether it was ninjutsu or her clan dojutsu. She practiced until her hands bled. She practiced until her anger was diminished to a dull sensation in her chest.

━━━━━━━━━━

Koko was thirteen when for the first time a boy asked her out. She cried through the night that day. It was not that she liked the guy. No, what struck her was the lack of control she had over her own being.

For years she avoided even a thought of that clan. It was childish, yes. As a shinobi, she knew better than to ignore her predicament. It took one hormonal boy to finally force her into looking up the Aburame of Konoha.

“Insects as weapons, huh?” she muttered reading a scroll. Well, that was an original way of fighting, she could not deny. Surprisingly, Koko did not anticipate being intrigued, but she was. Her thirst for knowledge be damned!

━━━━━━━━━━

At first, there was denial. She could not believe the betrayal of her own family. It was followed by anger for many years. It helped her to become a chunin, but it was also slowly killing her from the inside.

Bargaining she outright skipped. She was the daughter of Hoshoku-sama. She knew her place and clan rules. She knew how the shinobi world worked. There was no way to get out of the pact. Now depression, she felt deeply. It did not help that she was ANBU since she was twelve.

Kokoroe was good. She was silent. Skillful. Her blades were deadly. She would do anything to complete her mission. Death felt welcoming.

She killed. A lot. The world had to bleed just like her heart. ANBU helped her to perfect her unique ninjutsu technique… In return, she never complained. She never showed fear. Perfect tool. Perfect prodigy. Fuckin perfect lamb ready for slaughter.

At age sixteen she finally felt acceptance. She was Kokoroe Hoshoku and she was engaged to an heir of Aburame of Konoha. It was her duty to fulfill so that no other daughter of Hoshoku had to suffer. It will end with her, Koko decided.

━━━━━━━━━━

“Please follow me to make a formal introduction to our Hokage,” Aburame-sama said and Koko followed in toe with her brother.

As first impressions went, the pair looked… polite. Kokoroe cursed the scrolls she read about Aburame. It didn’t mention anywhere how genetically tall Aburame were. Just like her dear brother. She decided that she liked that fact.

As they walked across the city she felt multiple eyes on her. It was an early morning, there were barely any people around, so it had to be leaf nin who kept track of them. She didn’t see who it was, but her dojutsu revealed the truth. No genjutsu or chakra suppression could hide them. She smiled idly looking around.

Two on her left. Another one on her right. Couple more hidden behind curtains of a local restaurant. Not bad and not surprising at all. They were shinobi from a foreign village after all. Trust had to be earned.

_(ANBU shifted uncomfortably. They were not pleased with how easily this girl tracked their location)_

Their journey was silent, but not uncomfortable. The weather in Konoha was far more humid than that in Shy. Good, she liked the water in her air.

In no time, four of them stood in Hokage's office. A light scent of sake lingered in the room. Koko heard about the Legendary Slug Sannin Tsunade. She was impressive. Secretly, young Hoshoku was pleased that a kunoichi was the head of this village.

“Hokage-sama, this is Tendou Hoshoku and his sister Kokoroe Hoshoku,” Aburame-sama introduced them. Koko bowed politely together with her brother. The blond eyed their appearance, eyes lingering on their headbands. Then she looked a bit longer at her brother without voicing her question. Tendou understood what she wanted and responded.

“Hokage-sama, thank you for having us. I will stay here until the ceremony is completed as the witness on behalf of the Village Hidden in the Sky and Hoshoku clan.” Tsunade gave a curt nod.

“I see. Then I welcome you to Konoha. The ceremony will take place in two months?”

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” Aburame-sama confirmed. Then the blond's gaze settled on her. Koko kept eye contact.

“Kokoroe-san, I see that you are a shinobi of the Sky.” It was not a question, but she understood where the Hokage was going with her remark.

“Yes, Hokage-sama. I would like to continue being a shinobi under Konoha’s hitai-ate.” Koko felt how Aburame glanced in her direction. She wondered if it was against their clan politics? No matter, she was a shinobi threw and threw. That, no one will take away from her.

“Hmm. I would need to review your file before a decision is made.” This was a cue for Tendou. He nodded and took out a manila envelope with a kage level seal on it. Slowly and respectfully he placed it on Tsunade’s desk.

“This was already approved by the leader of Soragakure. There is no conflict from our side, Hokage-sama,” he added standing again by her side.

“Good. I will inform you of my decision. For now, please enjoy your stay,” and that was their cue to leave. With another polite bow, the four of them left Hokage's office.

━━━━━━━━━━

As the door closed, Tsunade already had a bottle of sake pulled out.

“Bear, assign an ANBU for each of them,” she spoke as her invisible guard appeared in front of her desk after only a mention of his codename.

“Yes, Hokage-sama…” Tsunade raised an eyebrow as she noticed his intonation.

“Speak up.”

“It seems these Sky nin are some type of sensors as they noticed our operatives right away.”

“Hmm, interesting.. You are dismissed for now,” she muttered reaching for the envelope. Inside the blond found a detailed file.

 **Name:** Kokoroe Hoshoku  
 **Sex:** Female  
 **Birthday:** August 7th  
 **Age:** 17  
 **Village:** Konohagakure; Soragakure (former)  
 **Classification:** Jounin  
 **Occupation:** ANBU (former)  
 **Academy Grad. Age:** 7  
 **Chunin Prom. Age:** 8  
 **Clan:** Hoshoku  
 **Nature Type:** Water release; Lightning release  
 **Unique Traits:** Kankeigan; Chakra control; Original ninjutsu

**Stats**

Ninjutsu | Taijutsu | Genjutsu | Intelligence | Strength | Speed | Stamina | Hand seals | Total  
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---  
  
5

| 

3.5

| 

2

| 

4

| 

2.5

| 

4.5

| 

3

| 

5

| 

29.5  
  
**Completed Missions**

D-rank

| 

C-rank

| 

B-rank

| 

A-rank

| 

S-rank  
  
---|---|---|---|---  
  
51

| 

78

| 

195

| 

302

| 

13  
  
Tsunade whistled. Now it was a bit more clear why the brat wanted to continue her career as a shinobi. With such a track record, Hokage got a good understanding of what kind of missions the girl took. Most likely, 70% of these missions were ANBU level. Kokoroe sure looked like a valuable asset. Of course, the clan heads will have to approve of this as well. She sighed heavily.

There was also the question of Hoshoku dojutsu. There were no notes on what exactly it entailed. She might have to poke the grumpy Uchiha for more information on this case. Troublesome, she thought grinning as she noticed Nara mentality finally rubbing off on her.

Then, another thing caught her eye as she looked over the file again. Former Soragakure. The village already severed its ties with the girl. That was fast. Sky nin surely had a lot of trust placed with the Aburame clan it seems - no doubt about the pact being honored. Interesting.

━━━━━━━━━━

Meanwhile, two Hoshoku siblings entered the Aburame compound. There were a lot of trees here, much like anywhere in Konoha. Traditional buildings looked peaceful. There were no people in sight.

“Please take a break after your long trip,” Aburame-sama broke the silence as he showed them to what looked like a guest house.

“Thank you, Aburame-sama,” Tendou bowed to both clansmen. Koko mirrored her brother.

“Shino will show you around the village when you’re ready,” older Aburame added before both of them left.

“Soooo, that went well,” Tendou smirked at her as they were left alone. Well, almost alone, if you didn’t take into account ANBU agents perched somewhere outside.

“Hn. They look like decent people,” Koko whispered looking around. She wasn’t that tired, but something urged her to take a nap regardless. She felt like it was going to be a long day.

“Decent?” Tendou smirked.

“What?”

“That’s all you have to say?” he sighed. “Shino Aburame. What do you think about him, Koko?”

She shrugged, turning away. There was a gentle blush on her cheeks. Honestly, she really tried not to think about the boy… teen?.. man?.. she just met.

“He’s… alright.. I guess,” she whispered before leaving Tendou in the living room. Only inside the privacy of her temporary bedroom Kokoroe allowed herself to recall Shino.

He was quiet. A plus (she never liked loud people). He was tall. A plus. Bushy brown hair didn’t bother her one way or the other. And that was about it, what she knew about him. Sure, she knew about Aburame clan affiliation with bugs, but it did not sway her opinion either way. What she wanted to know was… what kind of person he was. Was he chauvinistic? Will he object to her being a shinobi? Will he… does he… have interest in her?

Koko had a small fear that Shino might be in love with someone from his village. It would be only natural. Especially for those bound into an arranged marriage. Will he… be loyal to her? She bit her lip gently and took a couple of deep breaths.

She’s okay. She will be okay. Right? Right. It was pointless to worry now. If such things come up, she will have to deal with them then. She will just have to respect his wishes, even if it will pain her to do so. For the Hoshoku clan, she will endure.

━━━━━━━━━━


	3. Introductions

Shino trailed behind his father. The whole compound was buzzing with excitement, the boy felt it with his kikai. His family was excited for him, but Shino could not share the sentiment. He finally met her and it probably was one of the most awkward days of his life…

“Shino? Did you hear me?” his father's voice made the boy look up. They were back at their home, seated by the kitchen table. Shino did not notice how they got back…

“Sorry, father. I was… distracted...“

“It’s alright, son. I understand. Do you want to talk about it?” Shibi asked straight. He raised the boy on his own and it showed. In cases like these, blunt communication actually made it easier. They were comfortable talking about complicated topics without dancing around the subject.

Shino looked up at the dark ceiling. Their insects were roaming free out there.

“I.. don’t know. We probably should,” he hesitated. Shibi gave a nod in agreement. The sooner they do it the sooner they will be over with it.

“Indeed we should. So, what do you think of her, Shino?”

“She.. is.. pretty..” almost inaudibly he answered. Shibi still heard it.

“Right. That she is. Kokoroe Hoshoku. Is there something concerning you, son?”

Shino struggled to elaborate. Yes, there was something bothering him. He did not want to voice out the dark thoughts that plagued his mind. But… this was his father, not a stranger.

“She.. is.. too pretty..” Shino finally said it.

For a moment Shibi stayed silent. He considered why this was a bad thing? As a father, he was happy to get such a bride for his son. He was proud. So why would Shino be concerned about it?

“Is that a bad thing?”

“Someone like her… needs an equal and not…” ‘me’ was left unsaid, but now Shibi finally caught on. It pained his heart.

“Shino…” Aburame were surely men of ‘many’ words. The fact was, that they understood each other without having to say it. Shibi understood the doubts in his son's head. The reputation that haunted the Aburame clan was a hefty burden...

“Son, at this time neither you nor me can really say what Kokoroe-san needs. We simply cannot know because we do not know her. Yet. So do not write yourself off, Shino.”

Shino exhaled and nodded. Rational thinking of his father surprisingly helped. He was right. Kokoroe was still an unknown for him, so he probably hurried too much in judging her. Deciding for her.

“You are right, father. Thank you…”

“Well, we do know one thing,” Shibi added. “She wants to be a leaf shinobi.”

That was right. Shino was surprised at first when he heard her speak in Hokage's office. For some reason, he did not consider such a turn of events. Hah, did he really expect to be paired with a civilian? That probably was a very silly assumption. The daughter of a clan head had to be a shinobi. With Hinata on his team, Shino should have known better.

“Do you think Hokage will allow this?”

“Hmmm, it probably depends on Kokoroe-san skill level. It would be illogical to refuse a good asset.” Shibi spoke honestly. He was pretty sure this same subject will be raised during the next clan meeting.

An asset. Right, that’s what Kokoroe was for Konoha and even for his own clan. Shino was not too happy with such realization. He wondered if Kokoroe would resent them... He definitely would in her place.

“Now, Shino, do you remember what I told you before?”

“Yes, father. First, I should keep my distance until she gets used to the village. Second, she is not Aburame, so kikai should be kept away so as to not drain chakra from her. Third, I should not spy on her,” Shino recalled their previous conversations, like rules from a shinobi handbook.

“Correct. Now that we have met Kokoroe-san, there is something else you should take note of,” Shibi added seriously. Shino tilted his head in a questioning manner.

“You were right, the girl is pretty. No matter how you feel about this, she is engaged with you. You will have to show it. Not to her, but to others. They must understand without a doubt that she belongs to you,” as his father spoke, a frown appeared on Shino's face. This wasn’t right. He was speaking of Kokoroe like she was some object. But he didn’t comment.

“Introduce her to your friends. Get to know her. This is important, Shino. It will help both of you,” Shibi finished with a sigh. Women were tricky creatures, so he wanted to prepare his son as best he could.

“Yes, father,” Shino nodded reluctantly as their conversation was finished.

━━━━━━━━━━

In the afternoon Shino was walking down the road in the city. Tendou and Kokoroe walked right beside him. He was slightly tense. The conversation with his father still lingered in the back of his mind.

“Konoha looks nice…” Kokoroe was the first to break the silence. Tendou gave the girl a warm smile and a nod.

“Yes, it is. Shino-san, is there a good place to eat around here?”

“Yes, there is Yakiniku Q. It is popular around shinobi,” he nodded leading the way. This simple exchange made Shino feel like he was simply going out with some friends.

Shortly they reached the restaurant in question. Shino sat down. Tendou sat in front of him. And Kokoroe… she sat next to him! Shino shifted in his place for a second but otherwise didn’t say anything. He wanted to keep his distance like he promised his father, but… It felt like if he moved, it would be a sign of rejection.

Damn, a simple lunch turned out to be a subliminal messaging minefield.

As they started eating a loud voice disturbed their silent bubble.

“Shino! Hey! Haven’t seen you in a while,” a blond girl approached their table dragging two boys with her.

“Ino,” Shino acknowledged her with a nod. Any other time, he would have continued to eat and that would be it. But.. another phrase of his father appeared in his mind.

“Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, would you like to join us?” he asked before really thinking it over.

The blond blinked a couple of times in surprise. This request was unusual. Her gaze fell on the two figures beside him like she just noticed their presence and something clicked. She smiled widely and sat next to Tendou. Her teammates reluctantly followed in suit.

“Soooo, who are your friends, Shino?” she cooed sweetly. No doubt in his mind, she already put two and two together. Yamanaka was too smart for her own good, Shino thought.

“This is Tendou Hoshoku,” the boy in question waved with a pleasant smile.

“And this is his sister… Kokoroe Hoshoku,” Shino added. Ino smiled wider if that was even possible.

“Ohhh. I am Ino Yamanaka. This lazy one is Shikamaru Nara and that is Choji Akimichi,” the girl introduced her team.

“Nice to meet you, Ino-san,” Kokoroe smiled gently in response. Shino didn’t actually see her smile, but he felt it.

“Are you friends of Shino-san?” Tendou asked.

“Oh yes! We went to the academy together,” Ino confirmed. Shino noted how her eyes glimmered. “How long will you be staying here?” the blond continued trying to force one of them to actually say it.

Shino was silent. Kokoroe was silent. Tendou on the other hand had a similar glint to his eyes like Ino. Was he amused by this, Shino considered.

“Well, I will stay for a couple of months,” Tendou responded casually. “And.. my sister is engaged to Shino-san, so she will stay in Konoha,” the man giggled. Amusement confirmed.

Shino blushed. Kokoroe blushed. Ino beamed pleased with herself. Even Shikamaru looked up with mild curiosity.

“Oh, right. So we heard,” she snickered trying to catch the eyes of the ‘happy couple’. Unsuccessfully. “Ne nee, why don’t we gather the whole rookie 9 and go out this Friday? I am sure all of our friends are eager to meet Kokoroe-chan,” Ino continued with mischief in her voice. She was out for a scoop and this one was juicy. Probably, by the end of the day, the whole village will know of the fresh gossip.

“Rookie 9…?” Kokoroe asked curiously. Shino was amazed at her balance between shyness and curiosity. She was curious about his friends…

Ino proceeded to explain how the nine of them freshly baked genin shook the chunin exam. The conversation was pleasant, Shino felt more at ease. Somehow, Ino managed to disperse any shreds of awkwardness.

“So, Friday?” Ino asked again, looking at him directly.

“Alright, that sounds like a good idea,” Shino nodded, secretly thankful that Ino suggested it. It felt effortless coming from her.

━━━━━━━━━━

It was a long day for Shino. The darkness of his bedroom was welcome. He laid contemplating what happened. After lunch, he continued with the tour around the village. Nothing of note really happened.

Then, the four of them had dinner together at Shinos' home. Idle chatter. Nothing really to note there either.

What Shino couldn’t get out of his mind, was what followed dinner. Tea. Of all things, tea never seemed like something special until today.

“Tea?” Kokoroe asked him, reaching for the handle of the ceramic teapot. He nodded calmly watching her hands. With her left hand, she held onto the long sleeve of her right hand. This small movement revealed her delicate wrist. Pale, skinny. A wrist like any other, but Shino could not take his eyes off it.

As she gently twisted her hand. Lifted the teapot. Poured hot liquid into his cup. And then it was gone. Her wrist was hidden again. Shino’s mouth felt dry. Luckily, now there was some tea for him.

Meanwhile, Tendou was having a polite conversation with his father. The pair did not notice this small exchange.

Shino exhaled, closing his eyes. His heart was beating fast. What was this feeling? What was it about her wrist that made his blood rush? Nothing came to mind.

Falling into the state of a dream, Kokoroe appeared there as well. Smiling. Looking him in the eyes. There was a distance between them. Shino tried to get closer, but couldn’t. He reached out towards her. He wanted to grab her. To hold on to her.

From then on, Kokoroe would visit his dreams every following night.

━━━━━━━━━━

Friday. Bathhouse. Shino had a sneaking suspicion that Ino wanted to get Kokoroe alone to gouge some more intel. He exhaled but did not protest. The first meeting with the whole gang was intense enough, so splitting up girls and boys if just for a while was not that bad of a thing.

“Shino, you lucky bastard,” Kiba snickered as the boys soaked in the outside pool.

“Whatever do you mean, Kiba?” Shino blinked a couple of times unsure of the meaning behind the comment.

“You know!” the boy snarled and gesticulated with his hands something similar to an imaginary hourglass. Shino blinked again. Embarrassingly enough, Naruto snickered as he got the idea behind Kiba’s words. Shino blinked, getting more annoyed.

“He means,” Naruto started repeating Kibas's gesture as he spoke, “you know, her figure.” Shino blinked again. Yeah, that made it clear. His cheeks colored red.

“Kiba!” Shino muttered with disapproval and minor anger.

“Wow, Naruto, did you learn that from Jiraya too?” Sasuke snarled.

“Shut up, teme! I saw you staring at her too!”

“Then check your eyes, dobe!”

“Nuh-uh! I saw you stare at her chest!”

“So troublesome…” Shikamaru sighed, closing his eyes.

Shino wasn’t angry often. Especially with his friends. At this moment, the boy recalled what his father said. Maybe Shibi was a seer or something? It was like he knew that guys would look like that at Kokoroe. Shino sighed.

“Now now, boys. Did anyone ever tell you it was impolite to stare?” Tendou's voice woke Shino from his thoughts. He looked up to see the man crouched with his hands placed on Kibas and Sasuke's shoulders. Tendou's smile was soft, but somehow still managed to look highly intimidating. Both boys gulped. They obviously forgot that there was another person joining them.

It should have been him saying that to his friends, Shino thought bitterly. Tendou looked so cool and calm. Naruto giggled and waved at him.

“Yeah, you tell ‘em!” Naruto laughed loudly. The atmosphere yet again was relaxed.

Tendou got into the water and settled by Shino's side.

“So, what are you talking about, boooooys?” Tendou asked, eyes glanced over each of the five boys. Challenging them. None of them were stupid enough to answer. Well, almost none of them.

“Oh, we were talking about Kokoroe-san! She is very pretty!” Naruto just had to say it straight to the face of the girl's older brother. Poor stupid single child, Shino sighed.

“Mmm, yes she is. Shino-san? You agree?” Tendou's eyes settled on him.

Damn Naruto! Young Aburame wanted to disappear. Or poison Naruto. He could do both.

“Hmn..” Shino managed to stammer with a vague nod. Kami, please let this be over already. He was feeling light-headed now.

Tendou nodded.

“Goooood, good.” With a lower tone Tendou added for Shinos ears only, “As long as you keep that in mind, you’ll be fine, giri no otōto. You’ll learn.” Tendou just called him ‘younger brother in law’. Were they really brothers now? Shino inhaled and nodded more sure of himself.

Yes, he will learn eventually. Shino now, more than ever, related to Shikamaru. Women were troublesome. But the way his friends' words made him feel was worse. He did not want people to talk that away about Kokoroe.

Thankfully, the conversation turned to Tendou and Soragakure from there. Shino still contemplated his feelings. He glanced at the wall separating male and female pools. He wondered if Kokoroe was doing any better while left all alone with the girls.

━━━━━━━━━━

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You will notice, that I use movie references from time to time. Credit to those who can spot it ;)


	4. Friday

Kokoroe always felt close to water ever since she was a child. It felt comforting and safe contrary to most beliefs. Bathhouse seemed positively divine to her ears! Warm water, mist - perfection. Also, just how scary could a couple of girls of her age be?

“Soooo, Kokoroe-chan! How do you like Konoha” the blond girl named Ino asked.

“Oh, it’s very green! I like how humid it is here,” she added playing with warm water. Four of them were submerged to their collar bones.

“Is it different in Soragakure?” a girl with pink hair asked. Sakura, she recalled.

“Yes. The higher the altitude the drier the air is,” Koko nodded.

“How old are you?”

“17”

“How old is your brother?”

“19”

“Are you staying in the Aburame compound?”

“Yes.”

“You are a kunoichi too, right?”

“Yes.”

“What is your rank?”

“Jounin.”

“Will you continue being a shinobi?”

“Yes, if Hokage-sama approves.”

“Do you like Shino?”

Kokoroe pause. Wow. She was getting a suspicion that this Ino girl might be an interrogator or some other intelligence agent. She surely felt like she was under an investigation. The other two girls listened to the last question more attentively.

“I…” Koko blushed slightly. “We just met…”

“I-Ino-san, maybe you sh-shouldn’t…” the shyest girl stammered.

“Whaaat? Shino is a good guy. We have to make sure he is in good hands,” Ino pouted.

“It’s fine, Hinata-san. I am glad Shino-san has such good friends,” Kokoroe offered a gentle smile to the girl with big white eyes.

“Oi, Sakura, why are you pouting?” Ino poked her pink-haired friend.

“Well, no offense, Kokoroe-san, but I think this whole arranged marriage thing is archaic,” she said. Suddenly there was silence. Hinata shifted uncomfortably. Ino pouted. Kokoroe froze.

“S-sakura-san… It’s not that unusual in clans...” Hinata offered quietly.

“It doesn’t make it right,” Sakura snapped and looked at Koko as if she was the enemy. From what she heard so far, Sakura Haruno was a civilian, so it probably was hard for her to understand the inner workings of old clans.

“Do you even want to be here, Kokoroe-san?” Sakura asked bluntly.

“I… it doesn’t really matter, what I want...” Koko whispered in response, averting her eyes. Sakura winced.

“I..I’m sorry,” Sakura said with guilt in her voice. Now that Koko didn’t appreciate - being pitied. She frowned.

“Don’t.”

“Shino is really a good guy.” Ino smiled, placing her hand on Kokoroe’s shoulder.

“Mhm. I do not doubt that,” Koko answered with a more relaxed smile. It was true. Since the moment they met, she never once noticed anything... bad about the guy.

“So, are you dating anyone, Hinata-san?” she changed the subject, making the poor Hyuga girl blush crimson red. Ino giggled.

“HA! She got you there, Hinata!“ Ino laughed and nudged the girl in question to speak up.

“H-h-how did you know?” Hinata whispered.

“I can see relationships between people,” Koko giggled.

“Oh, wait! Is that what your dojutsu does? I looked up the Hoshoku clan…” Sakura admitted. Kokoroe nodded, forcing Hinata to hide her face. Clearly, the girl was busted.

“But in this case, I don’t really need it, to notice the way Naruto-san looks at you, Hinata-san,” Koko giggled and other girls joined in.

“Oh oh! Do me! Do me! What boys think about me!” Ino demanded eyes blazing. Kokoroe took a moment before answering.

“Well… Choji-san considers you a very good friend. Same as Shikamaru-san. Like family, I would say. For some reason, Kiba-san looks scared of you. Naruto-san too. Hmmm, Sasuke-san might be more interested,” she offered her rough analysis.

Ino pumped a fist of victory in the air.

“HA! Take that, forehead!” She laughed, while Sakura pouted.

“But.. there is someone else, who looks interested,” Koko wondered, making Ino nod with excitement. The girl obviously had no doubt that there were more suitors out there.

“Someone from a distance I noticed had a strong… curiosity? Hm, interest maybe, towards you, Ino-san, but I have not seen or met that person yet.”

“Oh, just call me Ino, Kokoroe-chan!”

“Well, then please call me Koko, Ino,” she smiled. It felt like she was making her first friend out here. Konoha was full of kind and good people, which was comforting.

“Sakura-san, is there something else bothering you?” Kokoroe asked, noticing the pink-haired girl had a gloom still in her eyes. Ino giggled. Koko looked at the blond with questions in her eyes. Ino eagerly elaborated.

“Weeeell, A-cup Sakura here is probably bummed that yet again she is not fitting in,” blond eloquently pointed to Koko, Hinata, and her own chest region.

“Ohhh…” Kokoroe yet again blushed. She didn’t even consider that common trait the girls shared. Hinata blushed probably even harder than herself.

“Shut up, Ino-pig,” Sakura mumbled, crossing her arms.

Then a loud laugh echoed from somewhere behind the wall. Boys.

“I bet Naruto is up to something again,” Sakura did not hesitate to turn her anger towards her blond teammate.

“Talking of Naruto,” blond's eyes glimmered with mischief as she glanced from Koko to Hinata. “Oi, Koko, so exactly how close is Naruto with Hinata?”

Hinata fainted. Ino barked out a laugh. Sakura sighed. Koko laughed covering her mouth with her hand. She knew just how close those two were. A blessing and a curse of the Hoshoku clan dojutsu.

Kankeigan allowed them to see relationships between people. That’s probably why no one in her clan ever dared to cheat on one another. Sexual connection after all was very easy to spot with their eyes. Koko had yet to spot such a relationship between Shino and someone else. Secretly, she was glad.

━━━━━━━━━━

After a good soak, the gang ended up in a bar. Ino made it her mission to keep Kokoroe’s cup filled to the brim at all times. It was an obvious bribe, blond made it clear as the whole evening she would point at any guy.

“Is that the one??” she would ask Koko.

“Nop,” she would giggle in response. After a few hours, it paid out.

“Ino, Ino,” she poked the girl casually without turning. “He’s here. The one in the far corner, really pale one,” Kokoroe whispered to her friend's ear. Ino choked on her drink.

“SAI??” she almost whisper-yelled casually glancing at the direction Koko pointed out. “You gotta be shitting me! Koko, I think we’ll be very good friends,” Ino giggled adjusting her shirt before moving away from the group to pounce on her prey.

Koko's eyes followed her friend with amusement and turned back to the group. She was feeling tipsy now. Honestly, she never could hold her liquor well the few times she actually had gone out.

…

On the other side of the group, Tendou yawned and turned to Shino. Both of them kept themselves rather tame in distance from the cackling group they were a part of.

“Hey, Shino, I will be going now. I trust you to look after Koko, key’?” he said with a smile.

“Ko..ko?” Shino whispered with mixed emotions.

“Mmm,” Tendou stretched and turned to leave, but stopped to whisper in Shinos ear. “Oh, and if you’ll be up to something with my sister when she’s under influence, I will know,” he pointed to his eyes and chuckled amused by the tense expression he got from the boy.

Shino gulped but nodded nevertheless.

━━━━━━━━━━

Ino was gone. At some point, Naruto sneaked out with Hinata. Sakura was in the midst of a drinking contest with Sasuke. He was slurring his words now, while the pink-haired girl looked barely flushed. Kokoroe would be impressed if she could concentrate.

“Kokoroe-san?” she turned to see Shino's face next to her.

“Hm?” she smiled at him warmly. The boy blushed slightly and she giggled.

“Should we go...” ‘home’ was unsaid. Kokoroe noticed that about him. He tended to leave things unsaid, but it didn’t bother her.

“Oookey, I’ll go with you,” she nodded happily.

The air outside felt nice on her skin even if it made her shiver slightly. They walked side by side across the dark streets of Konoha. She swayed in her step a bit. Oh, the world was hazy.

“Y..you have gooood friends, Shino-san,” Koko mentioned as a matter of fact. Without waiting for his answer she continued. “Although, Ino is a bit scary, but I like her. I think we are friends now,” memories of the blond felt warm.

“I.. am glad,” Shino only said carefully but there was a sincerity to his voice.

“You know, the girls think highly of you,” Koko added with a hiccup between her words. She didn’t notice how the boy paled most likely considering what exactly the girls said about him.

“They are not wrong.. I think… I think you are a good person, too,” now she entered the blabbering territory. That drunk moment of truth where one says too much. She continued to speak “Shino… I’m sorry..” she stopped a bit teary-eyed as she looked into his dark shades where his eyes were hidden.

“.. why are you sorry?” the boy looked concerned and puzzled as he carefully asked.

“I… I am sorry that I was born... Sorry that this had to happen to you.. You deserve to be with someone you actually like..” a couple of tears rolled down her cheeks.

Shino was frozen. His face was blank and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking at the state she was in now. She almost shivered while suppressing a sob. Suddenly she felt the warmth before her brain registered the hug she was in.

“It’s okey… it’s okey.. Please don’t cry,” he whispered to her ear. Koko clung closer to his chest. His heartbeat was calming. She felt it under her palms that were placed on his flak vest.

━━━━━━━━━━

Kokoroe woke up in her bed. Fully dressed and covered with a blanket. Her head hurt. She groaned sitting up. She looked around squinting at the light coming into her room.

“Ugh.. that’s why I hate drinking…” she muttered feeling the thirst equal to two weeks in the desert. She noticed a glass of water on the bedside table. The girl didn’t question it and thanked her anonymous savior. Thirst be gone, she thought, gulping the liquid. Mid this action she noticed an insect on the glass. She paused, then slowly turned the glass around to get a better look at it.

“Oh? Who might you be?” she asked as if it could respond. Carefully she reached out allowing it to crawl on her extended finger. The little thing did not look harmful so she allowed it to crawl up her arm.

“Oookey.. You do you, little one,” she exhaled rubbing her eyes. Honestly, she could not be bothered to think about what the insect wanted from her or why it considered her body as his new home.

She exhaled. Shower. She needed a shower to wake up. Still sluggish she went to the bathroom. As Koko started undressing, she noticed the little insect was now on her neck.

“Hm.. do you like water? Probably not…” she muttered slowly letting the bug get on her finger again and then placed it carefully on the window ledge.

She vowed never to drink with Ino again.

━━━━━━━━━━


	5. Creepy crawlies

Shino couldn’t sleep. Honestly, he wanted to cry together with Kokoroe. Her words were filled with pain. The way she blamed herself… it didn’t sit right with him. Another rule was broken as he hugged her on instinct. Hell, if he went that far he might as well break all the rules. That is how Shino justified himself leaving his kikai to watch over her.

On other hand, he was worried about her. Leaving her alone did not look like a good idea, but staying by her side was not an option either.

The morning came too soon to his liking, Shino waited patiently for his insect to return before going to the house where Hoshoku siblings stayed. Kikai returned unharmed. Good, so just maybe.. Maybe she didn’t notice it…

As he listened to his insect report back, Shino paled. God, Kokoroe noticed it. She didn’t even freak out. Maybe she was still drunk from last night? That was a likely explanation.

Shino practically could taste Kokoroe’s chakra, which was absorbed by the insect. It had a sweet and warm flavor to it. It represented her very well, he thought. Shino liked that taste.

“Shino. How was your evening yesterday? You returned pretty late,” his father greeted making Shino hesitate for a moment.

“It.. went well. Everyone got along,” he answered timidly. He was not about to admit the little thing that happened between him and Kokoroe.

“Good. I am glad to hear that,” Shibi nodded with approval. “Today we’ll have a clans’ meeting. Don’t forget.”

“Yes, father,” Shino nodded. It would be his second meeting. No doubt, now that his fiance was in the village, the meeting will have to be about her.

━━━━━━━━━━

“Good morning, Shino-kun,” Tendou greeted the boy with a smile. Shino just nodded in response. He wondered if her brother could tell what had happened.

Then Kokoroe stepped into the living room. She slightly avoided his eyes. Damn.

“Hmmm, I am still tired from yesterday, so go exploring without me, kids,” Tendou yawned glancing between the pair. Shino felt uncomfortable under his gaze.

“Alright,” he said calmly in contrast with his inner turmoil.

So the two of them exited the compound together. Kokoroe was smiling as usual. He wanted to say something about yesterday. About the morning after.

“Kokoroe-san…” he started, but was interrupted.

“Shino, call me Koko…” her voice was not as loud as usual, but the gesture behind it felt significant. Were they closer now? Was she feeling more comfortable with him after what happened?

“Alright… Koko, about what you said yesterday… we are in this together…” words came out strained, but he meant it. It was not pleasant to see her cry, the boy had an urge to never see that sight again.

“Oh.. Shino.. I’m sorry.. I didn’t want to upset you…” he stopped mid-step blinking rapidly.

“... what…?”

“I mean, you are so kind to me and.. And I just put my thoughts out there and...” Shino grabbed her wrist in a plea to stop her from speaking any further.

“Don’t apologize. Koko, never hesitate to say what is on your mind. I am here for you,” he insisted eyes locked with her different colored orbs. Suddenly, he realized that he was still holding on to her. Urgently, Shino let go and turned away embarrassed. Yet again he is getting too close to her.

“Alright...” Kokoroe responded shyly, also looking away.

Well, this was awkward. Even more than in front of Tendou. Shino wanted to do something about it, but nothing came to mind. Well, if he was already breaking all the rules, he should just continue with it…

“Come on, I want to show you something,” he suggested calmly.

They walked for a while until they reached the top of Hokage mountain. Shino stood back watching as Kokoroe approached the ledge looking across the panorama of the city.

“Wow, what a view!” she smiled looking back at him.

“Mmm.” he liked her smile more than the view of Konoha.

“Shino.. Was that your ki-kai in my room this morning?” Kokoroe asked, glancing in his direction. Shino held his breath. Of course, he already knew she noticed it and expected to be confronted, but still, when it happened he felt uneasy. Somehow he managed to nod.

“Were you spying on me?” Oh Kami, she just went there and asked him point-blank.

“No!” Shino hurried to clarify his intentions. “I was concerned after yesterday, so I left one insect to make sure you were okay till the morning.” It was a weird excuse. What did he expect to happen? For her to be attacked during the night? Honestly, he was actually worried if she would cry again…

“It’s… okey. I appreciate it… You can spy on me if you want...” she added looking away. Shino was left speechless.

“...what..?” for the second time in a short while he was left confused. Kokoroe giggled.

“I mean… well, I don’t mind your insects, so it’s fine if they approach me,” she tried to explain, but Shino was still lost for words.

“...you are not freaked out by them?”

“Well no, they are just insects,” she shrugged casually as if it was that simple! Shino could not believe her laid-back attitude. On impulse, he let out a swarm of kikai to appear before her. In a way, testing her if her words were empty. Kokoroe didn't even flinch!

“How. How are you so okay with them?” he deadpanned. Something like a realization flushed her face.

“Oh.. so you don’t know?”

“Don’t know what?” Shino blinked rapidly. Was he missing something obvious? Koko meanwhile made a couple of hand signs and placed her hand on the ground without any words. A poof of smoke disturbed the silence. When it cleared, there was a hand-sized spider in her palm.

“Spiders. They have been Hoshoku clan summons for generations,” she explained. Shino still blinked rapidly, but his curiosity won over the shock. Young Aburame stepped closer to her without hesitation and leaned in to get a better look.

“No.. I definitely did not know this…” he whispered. The spider blinked with its many eyes observing the situation.

“So yeah… spiders are far more freaky!” she happily said as if it was a competition between them. The spider sent something like a judgemental look at its summoner.

“Kikaichu live and breed inside our bodies!” Shino said relentlessly.

“Hmm, good point. But spiders have like a billion eyes and more legs too than your kikai,” Koko stuck her tongue out teasingly. He looked at her beyond confused and extremely shocked. Was this really happening or was he still asleep in his bed?

“Kikai can multiply in the target's body too...” he continued to argue.

“You actually swallow at least eight spiders over a year during your sleep,” she had to be joking, but her tone was serious and it made Shino question the truth.

“No way.”

“Yes, way.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Kikai can eat your chakra!”

“Spiders can lay eggs under your skin.”

“...”

“...”

Then they both laughed at the absurdity of their argument. Invisible weight was lifted from his shoulders. Shino didn’t have to worry about how she would react to kikai, to how people regard Aburame as the creepy clan. She was just like him. She understood him.

With another poof, the spider disappeared. His kikai retreated back under his skin. The mood between the two of them was light and sunny. A small smile played on his lips.

“Huh, so you do smile!” Kokoroe teased. Shino felt a blush on his cheeks and tried desperately to suppress his smile. The more he tried, the more it spread like a virus until even a pair of dimples could be spotted.

“I.. am relieved actually.”

“Why?”

“I was concerned how you will react to kikaichu,” he admitted. It was far easier to talk with her now.

“Oh, I see. Well, next time, just tell me right away if something concerns you,” she said happily. His heart felt warm. The insects under his skin buzzed with approval.

“Alright. You too,” she nodded in response as they made this agreement. They had trust now.

“Soooo, anything else bothering you?” Kokoroe’s voice was curious and he considered the question.

“Hmm. Well, there is one thing. Is there someone you left behind back home?” He tried to say it politely and carefully. The answer terrified him. What if she was in love with someone, but was now stuck with him?

“No… I… never actually dated anyone. It wouldn’t make sense to do that, considering our clan's pact,” she shrugged.

“Wait… when did you find out about it?”

“Hm… when I was six maybe? It was when I just started the academy,” she considered, leaving Shino surprised once again.

“I found out about it only a few months ago…” Shino said.

“Oh… so, there is someone you were with?” Kokoroe asked, not looking into his eyes as she did. Shino blinked.

“No. There is and were no one. You know, the whole - creepy crawlies thing,” he tried to make light of the situation.

“I see,” she hummed, but with a far more relaxed expression.

They walked a bit away from the mountain ledge when it started to rain. Slow at first, what eventually became a full-blown down pour. They stopped under a tree. As quickly as the rain came it had to also disappear.

“Koko… on behalf of the Aburame clan, I also want to say sorry to you. You deserve better…” Shino added after a pause. It was only fair as she apologized already. And he truly felt sorry for her. The rain didn’t stop.

“Thank you, Shino,” Kokoroe said to him. Both of them looked straight ahead into the rain falling down on the city. Suddenly, Shino felt her hand take hold of his own palm. She squeezed gently as if to verify that his apology was accepted.

Both of their cheeks burned. Shinos’ mouth felt dry. He wondered, why didn’t she let go of him yet? He didn’t let go either, to be fair. He didn’t want to. His thumb naturally stroked across her wrist as they continued to stand like that.

WHAT am I doing?... I am allowed… right?...

It was frustrating how his body acted on its own violation when it came to Kokoroe. There was a permanent shiver going up from his palm to his neck.

━━━━━━━━━━

That evening in the depths of Hokage mountain yet another clan meeting took place. Usual suspects sat around the table. Two fresh faces were there too - Shino of Aburame clan and Itachi of Uchiha clan. Both boys sat next to their respective fathers. Both future heads to their clans.

“Congrats, Shino,” Hana smirked, having no trouble taking on her mother's usual cheekiness. Tsume officially handed over the reins of the Kiba clan to her daughter. Inoichi chuckled.

“Thank you?” Shino was calm or at least tried to be. That much he already expected attending this meeting.

“So, let's get right to it then. Shibi-san, any objections for the girl being Konoha's shinobi?” Tsunade spoke up ignoring murmurs that followed her words.

“No objections, Hokage-sama,” his father replied.

“WHAT? Hokage-sama, you cannot seriously suggest for Sky nin to become a leaf shinobi?” Uchiha-sama did not even try to hide his displeasure. In contrast, Itachi-san was calm next to him.

“Fugaku, mind your manners,” blond snarled and took a sip from her cup. “Either way, I reviewed her case file and it would be stupid not to consider her. Her skills on paper are impressive enough,” she added cryptically. Noone besides Hokage had the authority to review the case, so they could only trust her word for it.

“I agree with Hokage-sama,” Inoichi added with a grin. Everyone turned to him curiously.

“Ino-chan?”

“Yes, Hokage-sama. My daughter highly regarded Hoshoku-san skills,” the man confirmed. Shino had to wonder what exactly Kokoroe had done to impress Ino over a single day.

“Nara agrees with Yamanaka,” Shikaku added amused, to no one's surprise.

“Akimichi as well,” Choza-sama nodded.

“Hiashi-san?” Hokage turned her eyes to Hyuga.

“WHAT? Just wait a minute….” Fugaku tried to intervene.

“Hyuga also has no objections,” Hiashi said, ignoring Uchiha with a micro smirk on his lips. It was no secret that Hyuga enjoyed getting under the redeye's skin.

“Sarutobi approves as well,” Hiruzen smirked behind his cloud of smoke. Fugaku-sama was lost for words.

“Inuzuka have no objections too,” Hana added. It was done. Uchiha reluctantly had to yield.

“Alright, then it is decided,” Tsunade-sama smiled viciously. Looks like she thrived when the matters were solved so quickly leaving no room for endless discussions. Shino exhaled relieved. He was ready to protest any opposition, even though Uchiha-sama was highly intimidating.

“She will have to pass our jonin exam either way. Shikaku-san, I trust you to get on with preparations. I give you a month to schedule it,” the Nara let out a labored sigh after receiving the order from the sanin.

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” he agreed reluctantly. Shino swears he heard the trademark ‘troublesome’ said under the man's breath.

The meeting continued for a few more hours. Shino listened carefully, but far more relaxed than before. He still felt shivers in his palm like an echo from earlier that day. He wondered what the next rainfall would bring.

━━━━━━━━━━

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise there will be less whining about their predicament in the future chapters! ^^


	6. Stolen second base

Tendou and Aburame-sama took on the wedding planning so Kokoroe was left alone at the house eating late breakfast. Sipping orange juice she remembered yesterday and the moment she shared with Shino. It made her grin stupidly.

“Kokoroe-san?” the boy's voice made her flinch. Kami, she didn’t even notice how he entered the room! But then she frowned, turning to look at him.

“Koko! Don’t ‘san’ me,” she said.

“Right, Koko,” the boy shifted uncomfortably. He was cute, she thought and smiled yet again.

“What’s up, Shino?”

“Hokage-sama asked to see you,” he said calmly.

“Ohh! Okey,” Koko replied and stood up to walk with him. It had to be about her position in the Leaf village, no doubt.

“...Did you sleep well?” Shino asked as they made their way to Hokage tower. She tried not to blush. Honestly, sleep did not come easy to her last night. Kokoroe could not stop thinking about him! Even in her dreams, Shino appeared touching her wrist. She woke up with labored breathing. But of course, she could not admit that to him!

“It… was fine,” was what she said shyly. “You?”

“Fine as well,” the boy replied, far more composed. Why was he so cool about this? More than that, why wasn’t she as collected?

Hmm… probably holding hands was not as big of a deal for him.. she thought considering what would throw Shino off.

“Hokage-sama,” both of them greeted the blond leader of the village.

“Hoshoku-san, your request to be Konoha’s shinobi was approved, but you will have to pass our jonin exam,” Kokoroe happily looked up at her.

“Thank you, Hokage-sama!”

“The exam will be held in three weeks or so. It will consist of three parts: theory, T&I, fighting,” Hokage listed out, and Koko nodded to each part. This did not look too different from exams in Sora.

Shino beside her frowned a bit and she had to wonder why.

“Oh, Hokage-sama, I would like to ask your permission to use one of your training grounds until the exam,” Kokoroe said instead.

“Permission granted. You may use training ground 3,” the blond nodded, probably already anticipating such a request. “Shino, show her where it is located.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

And so they left together. Koko beamed with excitement considering how difficult the exam could be. The last time she took it, the part that caused her the most trouble was genjutsu. She hopped, she wouldn’t have to cast one at least.

“Koko… would you like to spar together?” Shino asked while they walked to the training grounds. She shook her head slightly.

“Nah Shino, I promised my father that I will not beat you up,” she giggled. Maybe it was not fair to assume his level of skills, but it was never about skill. Kokoroe’s father strictly forbade her from any physical altercations with her husband-to-be. Maybe he worried that the boy's pride would be bruised, but she could not tell for sure. Men were fragile beings.

“Oh…” Shino only muttered.

“Honestly, I don’t get it either, but my father insisted, so I made the promise,” she tried to explain hoping that Shino was not offended.

“It’s fine. I.. don’t think I want to fight you either, even if just for training,” for some reason Koko was pleased with his response. Any other guy would receive a hit to the head for even thinking like that, but when it came from Shino… She just knew that he had good intentions behind it.

━━━━━━━━━━

That evening dinner at Aburame household was cheerful, mostly because Koko wouldn’t stop smiling. This was the first step towards some sort of normality.

“Kokoroe-san, will you need any help with your training?” the head of the clan asked her directly.

“No, thank you, Aburame-sama,” she said respectfully.

“Please, there is no need for formalities. We are almost family now,” he said firmly. It practically came out of nowhere, she thought. But maybe it was a good thing. Her and Shino were already on a first-name basis… “Shibi will be just fine,” He assured her, noticing how Koko hesitated to respond.

“Mmm, alright, Shibi-san,” she said shyly. “Then, please call me Kokoroe or just Koko too,” she added with a brighter expression.

“Koko, you’re still being formal,” Tendou poked her with a giggle, but she ignored him focusing on her bowl of rice instead.

“Talking about the jonin exams, I assume there is a high chance my sister will have to face members from other clans of Konoha. Will that be okay?” Tendou asked seriously. There were probably some social rules of conduct that she was not aware of. Well, that’s exactly why Tendou was here after all.

“Yes, that is very likely. And it will not be an issue you should be concerned about,” Shibi-san responded, then turned to Koko. “We already consider you as part of the Aburame clan, Kokoroe. You will represent us, so do not hold back.”

She was taken aback by that declaration. From Shibi-san’s words, she got a couple of things clear. First, if someone won’t like her facing a member from another clan it will be taken care of by him. Second, they consider her to be part of the clan already! Third, and oh Kami, she did not even think about it before, she will indeed represent Aburame now. There was no place for failure now.

“Yes, Shibi-san. I promise not to hold back,” Koko responded gladly. She was given a green light to crush her opponents! Oh, happy day.

In the end, they had dessert with tea. Tendou continued wedding conversations with Shibi-san. She poured tea for Shino not actually asking him this time.

“So, Shino, is there anything I should know about Aburame relations with other clans here in Konoha?” she tried to ask. The boy did not respond right away. His eyes were fixed on her hands instead, thoughts somewhere far away. Koko was about to repeat her question when he answered.

“Well. Our clan is more or less neutral with others.”

“Actually, that reminds me. Kokoroe, is there any history between Hoshoku and Uchiha clans?” the older Aburame pitched in. She had to blink a couple of times before shrugging, then looked at Tendou.

“Ah, Uchiha. I can answer that,” her brother laughed. “Well, you see, our clan specializes in ninjutsu. Everything from creating it to even copying other nin techniques. The difference between Hoshoku and Uchiha is that when Uchiha copies a technique they do it perfectly. Identical signs and results. Whereas, we prefer to make the technique our own.” he explained.

“How do you make it your own?” Shino could not hold back his curiosity.

“Well, I guess when we see hand signs it is easy to tell what the person is trying to accomplish with them. But we know the inner workings of hand signs better, so we adjust the ones that are used and achieve the same result but with less effort. Basically, we make the technique better instead of simply copying it like a monkey,” Tendou grinned.

“Ah, I see. That would explain why Uchiha would rival Hoshoku,” Shibi-san nodded.

“Rival? Oh is that what they think? Koko, make sure to kick some Uchiha butt if any cross your path during the exam!” Tendou encouraged. To her surprise, both Aburame men nodded in approval.

“Tendou!” she hissed at him, but with a smile. It was hard to be mad at his playful nature.

━━━━━━━━━━

Next couple of days Kokoroe took full advantage of training ground number 3. Shino gave her privacy to train alone, but they would still meet every day. They would talk about nothing particular. It was still comforting to be in his company.

Today, instead of going straight to train, Kokoroe entered the main house in the Aburame compound.

“Good morning, Shibi-san. Is Shino still in?” she asked after bowing to him.

“Yes, Kokoroe. Down the hall and to the right,” he answered before leaving himself. Obviously, there seemed to be no issue for her to be in their home by now.

Koko smiled at the older man and went in the direction he pointed out. She knocked.

“Come in,” Shino’s voice reached her from inside.

Silently, Kokoroe opened the door and stepped inside. The boy was sitting by a table with his back to her. He was looking at something with his microscope.

“What are you looking at?” Koko asked after leaning over his shoulder to take a look. Shino flinched with force in surprise to hear her voice. Instantly he turned to her and froze after realizing how close her face was. Koko wasn’t too bothered.

“Ko..ko..” he stuttered.

“Yeah, I asked what are you looking at?” she repeated with a smile assuming that he was so focused that he probably didn’t even notice her presence.

“It… it is a new beetle I found…” he said, still staring at her.

“What?” she blinked looking straight into his eyes.

“You… you are.. Chem… why are you here?” for a moment it looked like he was about to say something else, but changed his mind at the last second.

“Oh, right! Can you show me where I could buy some good senbon here?” she pulled away explaining her early visit. Aburame still looked a bit startled but nodded standing up.

“Come on, I promise it won’t take long and you’ll be back to work in no time!” she urged sensing that probably was exactly what made him hesitate. She did not enjoy getting in between Shino’s work, but senbon were really something she needed for training.

So, Kokoroe took initiative by grabbing his hand and practically dragging the man outside. Secretly, she was planning for an excuse to hold Shino’s hand, for a while now. There was something special about the gesture that made her heart beat faster. Shino was completely silent the whole road to the shopping district.

━━━━━━━━━━

In a few hours, her shopping was done. Kokoroe was waiting outside a herbal store while Shino grabbed a couple of things for his bug colonies.

The weather was really nice. It was spring. Nature bloomed all around. She enjoyed looking around. There was still so much new in Konoha for her eyes.

Once in a while, she would notice a familiar presence. She could easily tell Ino apart from the crowd. And a couple more of Shino’s friends were also easy to spot. In the distance, Koko noticed a head of pink hair walking next to the blond boy. Naruto? Yes, that was his name she recalled.

The pair noticed her as well. Sakura waved and she mirrored the gesture with a smile.

“Hello, Kokoroe-san,” the girl greeted her getting even closer.

“Oi! Kokoroe-chan!! You shopping??” the blond boy with the widest grin she ever saw hurried to get closer. He practically ran over to her.

What happened next could be summed up with one word - chaos. As Naruto ran to (maybe?) hug her, he managed to trip (really? He was a nin, right?). Kokoroe was so surprised that she didn’t even avoid Naruto crashing on top of her. In a second she was on the ground, the blond on top of her and.. Oh.. he had a soft landing taking advantage of her plush chest. The boy froze his hand still resting rather inappropriately.

“Ko-ko-koroe-chan! Oh! I-I-I am sor-sorry…” the boy stuttered more than Hinata at this point.

Kokoroe’s eyes were wide as she tried to understand what just happened. Thankfully, someone came to her rescue and pulled Naruto away… Oh… it was Shino.

“Naruto! Get your hands off her!” Shino’s voice was almost like a growl.

”Oh… Shino! I didn't mean to! It was an accident!” Naruto tried to defend himself. He was about to say something else, but Sakura slapped him into oblivion. No, seriously. Naruto was high in the air falling away in the direction of the sunset from a single hit! Scary. Kokoroe decided never to anger Sakura-san.

“Let's go,” still intense Shino grabbed her wrist and dragged her away. Why was he so upset, Kokoroe wondered but didn’t struggle. Sakura also bolted, probably to get her teammate.

“Shino... It’s fine. Calm down,” she tried after a minute of fast walking. His pace slowed a bit. They were now in the park surrounded by blooming sakura trees.

“No. It is not fine,” he finally spoke. He was still holding onto her wrist. Honestly, Koko was surprised to see such a reaction from Shino of all people. He always looked so composed and calm.

“Shino… please let go of my wrist,” she asked carefully. Young Aburame glanced at his hand and let go instantly as if her skin burnt him. He turned away from her. Kokoroe frowned, now really worried.

“Shino?” with caution she stepped in front of him. What was she supposed to say? Honestly, his behavior was childish, but they did agree to talk things out instead of hiding.

“Talk to me! What is it?” she really tried.

“I.. did not like how Naruto… touched you..” finally Shino spoke up avoiding her eyes.

Touched me? He practically crushed me! And… oooooooohhh slowly she realized what he meant. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked. It was so awkward even to remember what just happened. But at least Shino trusted her enough to share his thoughts. Kokoroe decided to focus on that.

“Thank you for telling me, Shino,” she said and hugged him as some sort of comfort. Did she know what she was doing? Not a clue. He hugged her once too, so this was probably okey… At first, he felt tense, but she didn’t let go of the embrace until he relaxed.

“If it would make you feel better, we can poison Naruto together, what do you say?” she suggested with hope to clear the tense expression off Shino’s face.

“Hm, he’s related in a way with Hokage-sama, so we would be dead before he is,” Shino seriously considered her suggestion! Kami, she couldn't handle him avoiding her eyes. Even though she couldn’t actually see his eyes behind those sunglasses.

On some weird instinct, Kokoroe cupped his face with her palms and forced him to look into her eyes.

“Okey, that was a joke, and my lame attempt to cheer you up. Tell me, what would cheer you up and I’ll do it,” she said, with serious commitment to follow through. Something changed during the silence. His gaze felt heavy, but Koko did not step away.

A gust of wind rustled over the treas. It was raining with sakura petals now. Shino’s hands reached for her wrist and pulled her palms down from his face. Oh, she probably crossed a line now. Kokoroe lowered her head, unable to stand the pressure. Shit, she messed up didn’t she?

“...sakura petal…” he whispered and she felt Shino’s hand reach for her hair. She didn’t look up. Kokoroe expected for him to turn away first and just waited, but nothing happened. His hand was still by her face.

Slowly, he touched her cheek and rested there. Shino’s thumb lightly brushed across her lips. Then very gently he lifted Kokoroe’s chin up to see her eyes better. She opened her eyes to only see her own reflection on his dark shades.

“Koko.. can I kiss you?”

That was bold. She liked it. Instead of saying her answer, Kokoroe stood on her tippy toes to get closer to Shino's face. He leaned in and their lips touched with sakura petals raining down on the pair.

His lips were gentle, reflecting well the boy's nature. Kokoroe felt his fingers practically burn her skin where they touched her chin. There was a lack of air in her lungs, but she did not want to break their first kiss.

So this is how it felt to kiss someone. Damn, she was missing out all this time. But Koko was glad to share her first time with Shino.

They pulled away slowly. Time froze. Her mind was buzzing with static noise.

The second time it happened, Shino didn’t ask at least with words. Their eye contact was enough for consent and he bravely locked their lips more eager this time than before. Koko parted her lips naturally allowing for the kiss to evolve. With the connection of their tongues heat between them increased.

Shino’s hands were wrapped around her waist pressing their bodies together. Instinctively her own limbs locked around his neck. Fingers lightly weaving into his hair. They finally parted lips gasping for air.

“Shino...” she tried to speak, but it came out more like a moan.

“Koko… if you speak like that I…” his voice was low as he squeezed her body tighter. The boy obviously tried to restrain himself, to her displeasure.

“But Shino! It’s not like we are doing something wrong... “ Koko pushed with an adorable pout. Could anyone blame her? This was her fiance so what harm was there for them to kiss? Yes, she provoked him, but… after that first time, a dam was broken. Like an addict, she wanted more and her drug of choice was Shino’s touch.

“Shiiinooo. You’re a good kisser. It would be a tragedy to waste such potential,” she cooed and the young Aburame groaned. That was the last straw. Their tongues entwined once more with the same passion as before. Kokoroe relished the feeling rolling down her body in waves. Hell, she didn’t even mind ANBU who was watching the show from a distance. It was surprisingly easy to get used to the secret agent's presence.

In the back of her mind, Koko registered feeling a couple of kikai on her skin. It didn’t bother her, but she did wonder what it meant? Was Shino having difficulty controlling his insects? She happily deepened their kiss pressing her chest even more to him.

Another difference from their first kiss was a new sensation in her abdomen. It was not new new per se. She only experienced it before in the privacy of her bedroom. Koko hadn’t dated before, yes, but no one could stop her from exploring her own body. This feeling felt similar. Shino made her body feel the same excitement. She will have to thank Naruto later for this development.

━━━━━━━━━━


	7. The springtime of youth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shino's POV and more!

It started the day after the clan's meeting. To be precise, during dinner. Kokoroe’s smile was infectious. Shino felt extremely glad to have brought her the good news. She was like a ray of sunshine illuminating the gray of shinobi life.

Even alone in his room, Shino could still see her. The way she poured tea for him. The way she smiled at him. Closing eyes the images got only stronger. That night like many others he dreamed of Koko.

Shino noticed that she smelled of honey. Her silver hair glimmered in the sunshine. Her eyes… he was lost in them. Memories of holding her hand plagued his unconscious mind. He could only wonder if all of her skin was as soft… There was much left for his imagination. What he could see was her face, her neck. A glimpse of her thighs. An occasional flicker of her wrists.

The next morning he woke up with sweat rolling down his neck. The last thing he remembered from his dream was Kokoroe’s lips. Shino exhaled opening his eyes. That is when he noticed… he was hard.

For a minute he considered what to do next. There were a couple of options at his disposal. He could go straight to the shower. He could also try to make himself relax. And then he also could…

Cautiously his hand reached under the blankets. He closed his eyes again. Shit, he hadn’t felt this aroused for years. Shino slowly touched himself and his imagination brought up an image of Kokoroe. Her tiny frame in his embrace. That was an actual memory from Friday night. But his imagination went farther than that. He could see them kissing…

“Ugh…” he panted as his strokes got more intense. His erection was throbbing with each move. Shino for a second imagined how her hand would feel on him… At that moment he came. Sticky seed covered his skin.

Shino never thought twice about mating between species. It was only natural from his point of view. For years he watched such acts between insects as they multiplied. Yet somehow it felt different when he considered the possibility of himself matting with someone. No, not someone. With Kokoroe.

Startled, his eyes flew open. Kami, he will eventually have to do _it_ with her. And by eventually, probably soon. Probably after their marriage ceremony is completed. This was another step to finalize their union - to consummate the marriage.

How didn’t he realize this before? How could he ignore this step until now… Shino was slightly panicking. But now that the realization hit him, it was the only thing he could think about!

━━━━━━━━━━

Days that followed, Shino tried to avoid Kokoroe as politely as he could. He immersed himself in research, but his thoughts would wander back to her. By the time he realized what was happening, he would be already idly chatting with her.

Each morning he would face the same routine of relieving his ‘excitement’. Every evening he would yet again repeat the act unable to control his body. Diners with Hoshoku siblings only added on and left him helpless.

After two days Shino accepted his fate. He allowed his thoughts to go into vivid fantasies about Kokoroe. He would wonder if her lips would taste of jasmine tea she loved. Or maybe, she would be shy and he would have to engage her. But what if she would make the first move? Endless possibilities and endless scenarios for his mind to relish in.

━━━━━━━━━━

_Why does she keep taking my hand? Why…_ he thought, allowing to be dragged by her to the city. Shino didn’t mind the skin on skin contact, but it didn’t help. He was terrified of losing control in front of her.

Of course, at that moment he didn’t know that he would lose his cool, but not in the way he feared. No, it had to be Naruto of all people to do what _he_ dreamed of doing. Seeing the blond's hand on Kokoroe’s breast made Shino’s blood boil.

He was ready to unleash kikai right then and there, but Sakura beat him to it. Still, he could go after him, but with last shreds of self-control, the boy grabbed Koko and left the scene. He didn’t think clearly.

_HOW.. WHY.. HE!!... HE LAID HIS HANDS ON HER… SHE IS MINE… WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE NARUTO???? WHY DID HE ALWAYS GET HIS WAY??? KOKO IS MINE…_

“Shino... It’s fine. Calm down.”

“No. It is not fine,” he managed to reply without looking at her. There was nothing fine about what just happened.

“Shino… please let go of my wrist.”

Only now he realized that he was even holding her. Shino glanced at the tiny wrist in his grasp and released it urgently. He was ashamed of the whole thing.

“Shino?”

“Talk to me! What is it?”

Her voice was laced with concern and he took a deep breath. Right, she probably thinks nothing of what just happened. Shino had to remind himself that he was the only one here tormented by sexual desires.

But on the other hand, how would she know if he didn’t say it? Shino took another breath and forced the words out of his mouth.

“I.. did not like how Naruto… touched you..” he frantically averted his gaze ashamed of the way his thoughts took ownership of Kokoroe.

“Thank you for telling me, Shino.”

She wasn’t mad. That was a relief. Shino almost exhaled, but then she just had to hug him. His whole body tensed like an activated trap wire. He prayed to keep his composure. After a couple of steady breaths, she finally let go.

“If it would make you feel better, we can poison Naruto together, what do you say?”

“Hm, he’s related in a way with Hokage-sama, so we would be dead before he is,” Shino seriously considered her suggestion. That idea sounded very tempting.

He was almost distracted by Kokoroe’s suggestion until she reached his face. _What…_ His mind blanked. He could only look right into her different colored eyes. He was now convinced that this was probably another dream of his.

“Okey, that was a joke, and my lame attempt to cheer you up. Tell me, what would cheer you up and I’ll do it.”

Maybe it was a dream or maybe it wasn’t. She wanted to cheer him up. Well, a couple of things came to mind on that subject. His eyes locked onto her lips. Shino wanted to make his fantasies a reality. He wanted to taste her lips.

Slowly he took hold of her wrists and lowered them because if she continued to touch him like that he would definitely lose it… Sakura petals were all around them setting on their figures.

“...sakura petal…” Shino whispered and grabbed one from her hair. The petal fell down, but his palm stayed where it was. Maybe she wouldn’t mind if… He gave in to the feeling and cupped her cheek still focused on her lips. Kokoroe’s lips were so soft. His heart should be erupting from his chest by now, but strangely he felt calm.

Maybe because he thought about kissing her so many times over the past couple of days. Shino wanted to see her eyes again. He gently lifted Kokoroe’s chin up. They were beautiful. Words came out of his mouth before he realized it.

“Koko.. can I kiss you?”

He blinked. His voice sounded like it was said by a stranger. Shino expected her to push him away, but she didn’t. On the contrary, she reached for him. He erased the last distance between them and their lips touched.

This was much better than a dream.

They pulled away slowly. Time froze. His mind was buzzing with static noise.

She didn’t reject him! She wanted to kiss him! How? Why? All these questions were suppressed by his desire for more. The way she licked her lips was beyond tempting, so Shino leaned in again. If he already went this far, he might just get everything he could. Burn it into his memory and revisit it later.

With a need, he took her lips. Kami, she allowed him to do even more! As their tongues touched Shino wrapped his arms around her waist. She was so tiny. Her body radiated heat even over the fabric. He was sure he would burn to ash, but instead of stepping away, he pressed closer. Her breasts touched his chest. So soft...

Then he felt her hand on his neck. It sent shivers down his spine. Kikai under his skin rustled with excitement as they took over the feeling of their owner. Heaving he pulled away. She really did taste of jasmine.

“Shino...”

Her moan sent another shiver down his body. Shino never heard such a color of her voice before. Did he cause it…? No way.

“Koko… if you speak like that I…” he tried to voice the struggle that brewed in him. Shino wanted more, but he also promised his father… Maybe he already broke the promise the first time their hands touched? He was a lost cause, but Shino honestly tried his best.

“But Shino! It’s not like we are doing something wrong... “

She was right. There was nothing wrong with them kissing. They were engaged. It would be expected of them.

“Shiiinooo. You’re a good kisser. It would be a tragedy to waste such potential.”

His mind went blank. Did he really hear her right?... Shino groaned with frustration but gave in to her pleading eyes. For some unknown reason, Kokoroe wanted to kiss him. He was not about to question her on that. So they kissed. His kikai tasted her chakra and he could not control them. At that moment, the only thing he was focused on, was the control of his own body.

She pressed even closer. Their passion was in the air. No one else existed but them. She was the one.

“I’m sorry for forcing you into this…” Shino muttered when they finally parted.

“Oh no… you didn’t!” Kokoroe hurried to deny. Both of them averted their eyes. Their faces were red.

“We probably shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“At least until the ceremony.”

“Yeah. That probably wouldn’t be okay.”

“Hmm…”

“Mmm…”

They agreed to restrain from repeating such actions.

━━━━━━━━━━

They failed to keep that promise the very next day.

Shino was sitting on the sofa in the house where the Hoshoku siblings stayed. He brought some ninja theory books for Kokoroe to refresh her memory before her exam.

“Thank you, Shino!” she said to him taking a spot on the couch next to him.

“Mhm…” he said looking over one book himself just to make his hands busy. It was really hard to ‘act’ normal around Koko after what they did yesterday.

“Hey, Shino?”

“Yes?”

“I.. have feelings for you...” Kokoroe said out of the blue. He blinked rapidly and felt rather stupid. Feelings? What kind of feelings? Was she upset with him now that she had time to think over yesterday's events?

“Feelings?” somehow he pushed a word out.

“Mhm. I think I like you,” Shino felt her looking at him to gouge his reaction. He froze in place desperately trying to make sense. It didn’t make sense.

“Why?” he said in a whisper. It was really painful to consider that she might lie, but it was a possibility. Surely, he himself had no idea how a girl like Kokoroe could like him. She probably was just confused, but he will help her to understand how foolish such a thought was.

“Kokoroe… you don’t have to pretend and lie about it…” Shino tried to encourage her, but even being a shinobi himself, Shino did not predict or managed to avoid a slap to his face.

Rapidly blinking he turned to Koko. She looked pissed!

“Wha…” he tried to ask but stopped mid-word.

“Shino Aburame! I am opening up myself to you here and you DARE to discredit my feelings? You THINK I am a LIAR?” she wasn’t yelling, but it felt like it. Maybe for the first time in Shino’s life, someone was raising their voice at him. The boy was stunned.

“I… but… I don’t understand,” he tried to speak as she obviously waited for his response.

“What don’t you understand?”

“Why would someone like you be interested in someone like me?”

Now Kokoroe looked confused with the way she looked at him. She sighed muttering something under her breath that sounded like ‘stupid stupid’. But Shino wasn’t too sure. Then she leaned close to his ear and whispered.

“Why would I not be interested in a kind, smart, and handsome guy like you?” Her hand brushed across his cheek. As sudden as she got close to him, she leaned back leaving only a peck on his cheek behind.

After a moment, while Shino was dealing with the brain shock he just received, Kokoroe crossed her arms with a strange expression on her face.

“Unless… you don’t like _me_? Is that it?”

Queue second brain shock.

“Wa-wa-wait a moment! No! I Don’t! I mean, I do! I like you!” Shino blurted out urgently. Another unexpected turn of events was the way Kokoroe started to grin.

“Ha! Made you say it!”

Shino blinked rapidly recalling his words.

“But.. but…” her expression softened and she exhaled.

“Shino. If you like me and I like you **and** we’re engaged, so what’s the problem? Do you really doubt my sincerity? I assure you, I will tell you straight if there will be anything I don’t like,” her voice was reassuring. It made sense what she said, but Shino was still in disbelief.

“Shino… you have to do only one very hard thing. Trust me, when I say I like you, I mean it.”

“Koko..” he was a mess. Practically teary-eyed he threw the book to the side and hugged her. His cheek was still stinging, but it didn’t matter. Then they kissed.

━━━━━━━━━━

Shino returned home slightly dazed, but overall happy.

“Son, why is your cheek red?” his father asked. The boy considered his words for a moment but decided to tell the truth.

“Koko slapped me.”

“Oh? What did you do?” with no doubt Shibi made a correct assumption. Of course, it had to be his fault. A girl would not just slap him for no reason.

“I made a rude assumption.” It was the truth, but there was no reason to tell what the ‘assumption’ was about.

“I see. Well, as long as you cleared out the misunderstanding?”

“Yes father, we.. sorted it out,” and by ‘sorted it out’ Shino meant that they made out for an hour until Tendou almost walked in on them

“I see…“ his father only said, although, from the looks of it, there were still questions in Shibi’s eyes. Shino excused himself shortly and retired to his room.

After an emotionally exhausting evening, Shino slept like a baby. His chest felt light. He almost started to believe that Kokoroe really liked him. Almost. But he was not about to question her again.

━━━━━━━━━━

The next few days Shino with Kokoroe used all their shinobi training to avoid praying eyes. They would send each other glances. Casually brush against one other's arm. Far in the woods, they would kiss. The possibility of his father or Tendou catching them in the act was terrifying.

They were sprawled on the fresh grass in a meadow. Shino’s head rested on her lap, while her fingers brushed over his hair.

“Hmm, Shino, what do you think, how strong will the nin be in my exam fighting part?” she asked curiously. He had to think before answering. Considering this was a jonin exam, there probably be three fights in total.

“Well. Probably depends on your record. Probably someone strong in taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu.”

“Hmmm. I figured. Well, then they will be really strong because I am a badass,” she giggled and Shino could not hide amusement. Her confidence still surprised him.

Later that day they all shared dinner. His father was on a mission, so it was only him, Kokoroe, and Tendou.

“How’s the training going, Koko?” he asked, glancing between her and Shino. Young Aburame had a suspicion that they were not fooling her brother with their sneaking around.

“Great! I am still in a top-notch state. And Shino lent me some books to brush up my theory,” her voice was casual.

“Oh, is that so, Shino?” he definitely knew something was up, Shino started to feel nervous.

“Yes.” he tried to reply calmly and hid his nervousness by collecting empty plates.

“I’ll help with the dishes,” Kokoroe offered, taking cups to the kitchen. Shino could hear her washing the dishes now.

“Alright, kiddos, thank you for dinner, I’ll take my leave.” Tendou stood up stretching. His eyes settled on Shino. The boy nodded. Then Tendou made a gesture with his hand from his eyes to Shino, meaning ‘I’ll be watching you'. Shino gulped. Nodded again.

Shortly Koko returned.

“Tendou left already? That lazy little…” she exhaled. “Shino, remember you said you have that book about genjutsu? Can I get it now? I will read it before going to sleep.” She was so adorable, Shino thought, looking at her with awe.

“Yes, it’s in my room,” he led the way with ease, although she had already been there.

“Here,” after a minute Shino located the book on his shelf. Before he could even reach it, Kokoroes hands wrapped around his waist from behind.

“Got you! You fell into my trap, muhahah,” she snickered somewhere on his back, not tall enough to reach his ear.

“Ahh, damn, I surrender to your mercy,” Shino held his arms up and turned around to face her. Why was he so lucky to meet her? How could he even exist without her?

“No mercy for you!” playfully Koko nipped at his neck. That was something new, but surprisingly he liked it… She probably could stab him and he would still say ‘thank you’. The boy was a goner.

“Oh? Is that so? In that case...” Shino smirked and leaned in for a kiss. Surprisingly easy they could connect now that their feelings were out in the open.

As they engaged with their tongues, eventually the pair ended up on his bed. The kisses were soft and sweet at first, but eventually, the heat did what heat does - engulf them in flames of passion. Shino was on top of her kissing Kokoroe’s neck carefully not to leave marks.

“Shino… Shino…” the way she said his name was driving him to the new levels of crazy. Somehow his hand now rested on her chest. He squeezed the soft breast over the fabric. It barely fit in his palm.

The boy felt something in his pants getting tighter. He froze. Until now, Shino managed to conceal his urges, but now… Koko was so close. He could feel her heartbeat.

“What's wrong?” she carefully asked. Right, he froze on top of her.

“Sorry… We have to stop,” Shino pulled away reluctantly.

“Huh? Why?” Kokoroe sat up on his bed confused. Her arms wrapped around him from behind once more. Only this time, her chin rested on his shoulder.

“If Tendou finds out… you’re brother will kill me,” Shino sighed, rubbing his temples with eyes closed.

“Find out.. what? “ the girl was so innocent. Shino felt dirty for the desires that ran across his mind at the very moment. It really didn’t help how Kokoroe’s hands brushed over his abdomen.

The only thing worse than Tendou finding out, probably was what Kokoroe did next. She let go of him and instead sat on top of his lap, her knees rested on both sides of him on the bed.

“Shino, tell me!” Koko insisted and he had to look away. A blush was very evident on his cheeks. Did he really need to say it? She probably could feel it.

“If your brother finds out about… that I… please don’t make me say it, Koko,” he tried to plead.

“Shin...oooooh…” the moment Kokoroe pressed closer to him looks like she understood what was happening.

“Shi-no. Is _that_ because of me?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. Sigh. Then yeah, you’re right. My brother will definitely know. Damn Kankeigan…” she muttered, getting off him. Part of Shino was relieved, but another part was disappointed.

“You, really have to tell me how it works, Koko.”

“Sure.”

━━━━━━━━━━


End file.
